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The Big Story

An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.

  1. How to ruggedize your life and prepare for ... whatever comes next

    Friday, August 19th 2022

    It's no longer a question of if our comfortable lives will change as the climate does over the next few decades. The questions are how much will they change, and where will they change the least?

    People with lots of money are already buying property in places they believe will be safe from disaster. You can Google "Best places to live in climate crisis" and find a lot of listicles. But very few of us have the money to buy everything we'll need, or move across the world. So how can you prepare for whatever comes next in the safest and most sensible way possible?

    GUEST: Alex Steffen, climate futurist, author of The Snap Forward

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

    Through email at [email protected] 

    Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

  2. Why are we still using the ArriveCAN app? Why is it still mandatory?

    Thursday, August 18th 2022

    Early in the pandemic, nothing had to be perfect, governments just needed solutions. And Canada's developed the ArriveCAN app to help process returning Canadians and incoming foreigners, to ensure their compliance with what were then very strict Covid protocols. It might have been messy, but it sure seemed necessary.

    Today, most of those protocols no longer exist. But ArriveCAN is still going strong. In fact, the government recently expanded the app to help modernize the border process. Which is fine...for those who want to use it. But why is it still mandatory? What do we know about the data it collects and what is done with it? And what's the danger of a government requiring citizens to use a piece of digital technology?

    GUEST: Bianca Wylie, technology expert, partner at Digital Public, co-founder of Tech Reset Canada

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

    Through email at [email protected] 

    Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

  3. Will Donald Trump be indicted? If he is, what happens next?

    Wednesday, August 17th 2022

    The former US President once said he could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and his supporters would never waver. After a week in which it was revealed that his Florida property was searched by the FBI in an ongoing investigation related to classified documents—including some pertaining to nuclear weapons—that statement looks prophetic. Trump's base and the Republican party have rallied around him, with escalating threats of violence against the departments conducting the investigation.

    But it does seem like the FBI and DOJ may be closing in. So what happens now? How far are we from an indictment, if one ever comes? Could a former president actually find himself under arrest? And if it does happen, what mayhem will it spark in a country that feels like a political powder keg?

    GUEST: Aaron Rupar, independent political and policy journalist, author of Public Notice

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

    Through email at [email protected] 

    Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

  4. What happened when the "Queen of Canada's" followers tried to arrest the police?

    Tuesday, August 16th 2022

    It's tempting to see Romana Didulo and her followers as a big joke. No, she's not the "Queen of Canada", or the world, so have a laugh. Why not?

    The answer to that question was on display in Peterborough, Ontario this weekend, when her followers attempted to perform citizens' arrests on members of the police force. Of course it didn't work, but things very nearly got out of hand. And if there were more people there, it might have.

    In the meantime, her followers have lost money, homes and freedom following her various directives, and it's proving difficult to help them find reality once again.

    GUEST: Kurt Phillips, founder of and former lead writer for Anti-Racist Canada, board member at the Canadian anti-hate network

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

    Through email at [email protected] 

    Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

  5. Why Canadians should pay attention to the Dutch farmers protest

    Monday, August 15th 2022

    It seems like a problem half a world away that doesn't concern us. But it's not. Strict new targets for fertilizer emissions have Dutch farmers fighting back, saying they will be forced to close. Canada's targets are not nearly as aggressive, but they have been poorly explained and may be badly implemented, causing a lot of fear among Canadian farmers worried they won't be able to care for their crops.

    This fear is being preyed upon by some people, who would like to stoke anger against the government, and radicalize Canadians towards their ideology. Here's what you need to understand about the difference between the emissions targets, the fear of fertilizer restrictions and the bad actors taking advantage of it.

    GUEST: Kelvin Heppner, field editor for RealAgriculture, family farmer in Manitoba

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

    Through email at [email protected] 

    Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

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